Karasin: protection of Russians abroad a priority task of the state
MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax) - The Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to offer legal assistance to Russians in distress abroad and help in emergencies, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin has said.
"I believe it is a priority task [the protection of interests of Russians abroad]. A Russian citizen should always feel protected by the Russian state. We are moving towards that," he said in an interview published by Rosiiskaya Gazeta on Wednesday.
He reminded the interviewer that as of January 1, 2012, a fund for the legal assistance of expatriate Russians has been functioning in Russia.
He added that the fund will accumulate all information about crises abroad.
"We are not speaking only of the legal defense to expatriates, though that is implied too. But of extraordinary situations and crises such as the developments in Syria where the lives of our people are in serious danger," Karasin said.
He said that a government program of promoting the repatriation of Russians was launched in 2007. Now President Vladimir Putin has made it permanent.
Karasin said that if all ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers would move to Russia, the demographic problem would be resolved - the population would grow by 25 million.
However, since 2007 only 110,000 people have joined the program, he said.
"While in 2007 only 12 Russian constituent territories were ready to provide the repatriates with due conditions - land, homes, loans, schools for children, medical services, now 40 territories are involved in the program," he said.
